Thank you very much!Yes, this is indeed a combination of shading and erasing (and for the skin texture below the eye, some circulism as well). If you feel you're not getting your highlights bright enough like that, you're probably trying to erase too late.Lemme explain that.I build up my shading in many layers. I start picking out my highlights right from the get-go, and do them again after the second layer, and after the third, etc... This way it's only one layer of graphite at a time you're erasing instead of 6 all at once. This can also create a nice extra dimension if you don't pick them áll out again and again and do a few more in each new layer.Like say, on layers 1 you make highlights A B C and D. You apply a second layer of graphite and blend that. Now you (again) pick out highlights A and B again, but you leave C and D as they are now (which is still a highlight, but less light than the others). Do the same on layer 3, but also erase new highlights E and F, which will have yet a different colour than the previous ones.That way you get a nice variety.Hope all that made sense?

You're welcome!I should add, that this works best on really smooth paper like Bristol, because on rougher paper, you'll (too) quickly blend over the highlights you've laid out first.Hope it works for you, let me know!

I'm a fervent admirer, but overflowed by the amount of watch, I didn't come to your stack, and so missed this awesome, amazing, wonderful eye. In few months you became a reference for many, reaching excellence ! Hat off, master